288 ARISTOPHANES
Charon. Now ply your hands and arms.
JSacchus (makes a silly motion with his arms^. Well, so I do. 25
Charon. You 'd best leave o£E your fooling. Take to the oar, And pull away.
Bacchus. But how shall I contrive ?
I 've never served on board. — I 'm only a landsman ; I 'm quite unused to it. —
Charon. We can manage it.
As soon as you begin you shall have some music 30 That will teach you to keep time.
Bacchus. What music 's that ?
Charon. A chorus of Frogs — uncommon musical Frogs.
Bacchus. Well, give me the word and the time.
Charon. Whooh up, up ; whooh up, up.
CHORUS.^
Brekeke-kesh, koash, koash,
Shall the Choral Quiristers of the Marsh 35
Be censured and rejected as hoarse and harsh ;
And their Chromatic essays
Deprived of praise ? No, let us raise afresh
Our obstreperous Brekeke-kesh ; 40
The customary croak and cry
Of the creatures
At the theatres,^ In their yearly revelry. Brekeke-kesh, koash, koash. 45
1 The Choms in this play was made up of men dressed to represent ^ The region near the theatre was marshy.
